System for replacing a cursor image in connection with displaying the contents of a web page

ABSTRACT

A system for modifying a cursor image, as displayed on a video monitor of a remote terminal, to a specific image having a desired shape and appearance. The system stores cursor image data corresponding to the specific image, and a cursor display code. The cursor display code contains information in response to which the cursor image is modified to the specific image. A server computer transmits specified information to the remote terminal. The information includes at least one cursor display instruction. The cursor display instruction is operable to modify, in conjunction with the cursor information and the cursor image data, a cursor image displayed by a display of the remote terminal in the shape and appearance of the specific image.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to computer networks and software, and moreparticularly, to a server system capable of modifying a cursor imagedisplayed on a remote client computer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The World Wide Web (“WWW” or “web”) and online services such as AmericaOnline, in conjunction with faster and more powerful personal computers,have rendered the Internet and other interactive online computernetworks accessible to millions of people all over the world.Concomitant with the emergence of this new communication medium, digitalcontent providers have proliferated, providing online news,entertainment, games and all sorts of other content. As with other massmediums, such as television, radio, and print publications, the entitiesthat create such content seek to offset their expenses by sellingadvertising. With reference to the WWW, online advertising has become amultimillion dollar business, to the amount of approximately $300million dollars in 1996.

The most common type of online advertisement exists in the form of“banner advertisements”. Users of online services routinely encounterbanner ads on the top, sides, and/or bottom of their video monitorscreens when viewing a web page. Banner ads are generally square orrectangular boxes provided with some combination of graphics, color andtext directed to the product or service being advertised. As such, theintention of these banner advertisements is to create impressions amongonline users and to convey some advertising message and/or logo Bannerads are usually provided on a web page in the form of a “hyperlink”, inwhich users who yield to the advertisement's solicitation to “ClickHere” are transported to the web site of the manufacturer of the productor service being advertised, or to some other screen which providesadditional information about the product or service.

Unfortunately, banner ads occupy only a small portion of a web page. Asthe user scrolls down a page the banner ad disappears. Although onlineadvertisers and content publishers have attempted to optimize thevisibility of banner advertisements by placing them on a popular webpage where they will have a greater chance of being seen, Internetusers, nevertheless, can easily ignore or find ways to remove andeliminate from their view the banner ads which exist on the web pagesthey are viewing. As such, the banner ads are rendered ineffective intheir aim to provide information about a product or service.Additionally, money spent to advertise a product may be wasted if usersare able to ignore or remove the advertisements from the web pages theyare viewing.

Another method of online advertising involves the use of “frames” on aweb page. Frames are a feature supported by the recent versions ofleading web navigating programs known as browses, such as NetscapeNavigator® and Microsoft's Internet Explorer®. Frames generally divideup a user's screen so that the user can, for example, independentlyscroll down each of numerous frames which appear on the web page beingviewed on the user's screen. Like banner advertisements, frames can beaesthetically unappealing as well as confusing to the user.Additionally, placement of advertising frames on a web page generallyresults in cramping or decreasing the size of the main content framewhich oftentimes renders the content in the main frame difficult toread. As a result, users have developed ways to reduce the size or eveneliminate frames from the web page being viewed.

Another type of online advertising involves the self-appearing windowwhich generally appears on its own as a user is using the Internet orbrowsing on the WWW. Such advertisements are relatively easy for a userto avoid as a user may simply re-size the window to make it smaller draganother window or object in front of it to obscure it from view, closethe advertising window, or simply ignore it and continue with the taskbeing undertaken online. Recently, online advertisers have begun usingself-appearing screens which are delivered via dialog boxes whichdominate the main part of the screen. Although these dialog boxes can beremoved when the user clicks on the appropriate place(s) on the dialogbox, the self-appearing dialog boxes have a much higher rate of beingseen by users. This follows because the dialog boxes take control of theuser's screen for a preset amount of time and/or until the user clickson the appropriate place(s) to make the dialog box disappear. The recentprevalence in the use of self-appearing dialog box advertising hasresulted in a more intrusive method of advertising which has resulted inresentment among users who are accustomed to more passive onlineadvertising methods such as the frames and banner advertisements whichare more easily avoided and/or ignored.

Accordingly, there is a need for a simple means to deliver advertisingelements, i.e. logos, animation's, sound, impressions, text, etc.,without the annoyance of totally interrupting and intrusive contentdelivery, and without the passiveness of ordinary banner and frameadvertisements which can be easily ignored.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus a general object of the present invention to provide a meansfor delivering online advertisements which are unintrusive and which arenot easily ignored by a user.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a serversystem for modifying a cursor image to a specific image displayed on avideo monitor of a remote user's terminal.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a server systemfor modifying a cursor image to a specific image displayed on a videomonitor of a remote user's terminal for the purposes of providingon-screen advertising.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means forproviding on-screen advertising transmitted online which does notinterrupt the delivery of content and which is aesthetically appealingand which affords the advertiser a great degree of unintrusive exposure.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide asystem and a method for causing a remote user terminal to display acursor image as specified by a server terminal.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a system andmethod for causing a remote user terminal to display a cursor image asspecified by a server terminal, wherein the cursor image corresponds tothe content retrieved by the user terminal.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system andmethod for causing a remote user terminal to display a cursor image suchas a corporate name or logo, a brand logo, an advertising or marketingicon or slogan, an animated advertising image, and a related audio clip,that relate to an advertisement, such as a banner advertisement, that isincluded in the information content being retrieved by the userterminal.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a meansfor changing a cursor's appearance by sending data and control signalsfrom a remote computer so that the cursor or pointer's appearance isassociated with a portion of, or the entire content being displayed onthe user's screen.

It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide ameans for changing the appearance of a computer's cursor or pointer bysending data and control signals from a remote computer so that thecursor or pointer's appearance is associated with advertising messages.

These and other objects of the invention are realized in variousembodiments of the present invention by providing a system fordelivering advertising elements online without the annoyance resultingfrom the interruption of content delivery and without the passiveness ofordinary banner and frame advertisements which can be too easily ignoredor bypassed or removed. An exemplary embodiment of the present inventionis directed to a system that provides online advertising content usingthe on-screen cursor which is generally controlled by an input ofpositioning device known as a “mouse” or “mouse pointer”. Nearly allonline computer interfaces utilize a wired or remote control positioningdevice such as a mouse or roller or track ball which controls thecursor's movement on the screen. It is the cursor controlled by themouse or positioning device which a user uses to “navigate” or move thecursor over objects, buttons, menus, scroll bars, etc., which appearon-screen and then clicking or in some cases double-clicking in order toactivate a screen or task, or to commence an application or somefunction.

As a result of the prevalence of the use of the mouse, by many millionsof users of online systems, a great deal of time is spent focused on theicons which represent the cursor or pointer as it may appear in somecases. Presently, pointer icons change from application to applicationand can also change within an application depending upon where on thescreen the pointer is located, what state the computer exists in at agiven moment, and what tools are being used, among other factors.Generally, pointers change shape to reflect an internal state of thecomputer or the present function within an application. While it is notnew for pointers and cursors to change shape, pointers are not presentlyused to convey advertising. In conventional systems, the appearance ofthe cursor or pointer does not change to correspond with on-line contentbeing displayed on the screen.

The present invention provides a means for enabling cursors and pointersto change color, shape, appearance, make sounds, display animation,etc., when the user's terminal or computer, known as the “client” or“user” terminal, which has a network connection, receives certaininstructions from a remote or “server” computer attached to the network.In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the generic cursoror pointer icons used in many networking applications, such as blackarrows, hands with a pointing finger, spinning wheels, hourglasses,wristwatches, and others, will change appearance, and in some cases mayincorporate sound or animation, in a way that is linked and related tothe content, such as a web page, which is being transmitted to anddisplayed on the client computer. The cursor or pointer may appear as acorporate or a brand logo which relates to advertising content withinthe web page being transmitted and displayed. The cursor or pointerimage may also appear in a specified shape or color that is intended toconvey a message that relates to the advertising content within the webpage being transmitted and displayed.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a combinationof hardware and enabling software residing on the transmitting (server)computer or network server and/or on the receiving (client or user)computer or terminal which brings about the stated effect of enabling acomputer's cursor or pointer to change appearance and in certain casesprovide sound and animation which is linked and related to the contentbeing transmitted to and displayed on the client computer or terminal.The transmitting computer and receiving computer or terminaladvantageously include a processor, an operating system (OS) loadedthereon, a video monitor used to display a graphical user interface(GUI) and a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) compliant web browsercapable of loading and displaying hypertext documents transmitted overthe Internet, although the invention is not limited in scope in thatrespect. For example, the receiving terminal may be any device that isable to communicate with a remote server, such as a user computerterminal, a user dumb terminal, or a television based system, such asWeb TV® terminal and other devices.

Preferably, coded information for bringing about the change inappearance of the cursor are embedded within the web page being loadedand viewed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the web page iswritten in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) which is one of the mostcommon standard page description languages used to develop web pages.Typically a web browser retrieves a web page to be loaded on user'sterminal. The retrieved web page in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention contains a set of predetermined instructions referred toherein as cursor display instructions. The browser or browser extensioninterprets the information contained in cursor display instructions andinstructs the operating system of the user's terminal via an applicationprogramming interface (API) to check its memory to determine if the userterminal is capable of loading the coded image, animation, and/orsoundbite. If the image, etc. has been previously cached in the clientcomputer memory, the cursor display instructions instruct one or more ofthe many devices controlled by the operating system in the user'sterminal, such as the video monitor and audio speakers to display thedesired images, animation and play desired sounds. If the image, etc.has not been previously cached in the client computer's memory, thebrowser or browser extension retrieves the information corresponding tothe desired image from a remote server.

The present invention may serve to enhance banner advertisements whichappear on a web page so as to remind users which company is sponsoringthe particular page being viewed and to draw the user's attention to thebanner advertisement. The present invention can also serve as astand-alone branding vehicle as part of a “ubiquity campaign” togenerate massive impressions among an audience of online users or can besimply used to make web sites more entertaining by providing animated,colorful cursors which may incorporate sound and/or animation, and whichare configured so as to connote a relationship with the topic or subjectof the web site.

The foregoing sets forth certain objects, features and advantagesprovided by exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Otherobjects and features of the present invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed solely for the purposes of illustration and not asa definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference shouldbe made to the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings in which like reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a computer networkillustrating the interconnection of a plurality of computers in whichthe present invention is implemented;

FIG. 2 illustrates a client-server computer network supporting thehardware and software of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart diagram of an exemplary method of thepresent invention for obtaining information from a remote site formodifying a cursor image and implementing such information at numeroususer sites;

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of the Cursor Display Instructions which isreferenced as a resource within an HTML document according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a set of exemplary codes that cause the userterminal's cursor to be modified, then revert to its original shape inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of user interface attributes that may beremotely modified in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIGS. 7-9 illustrate the appearance of a cursor prior to, during andafter linking to a web page that contains cursor display instructions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates a computer network, such as Internet 10, based on theclient-server model. Internet 10 comprises a worldwide network ofcomputers known as “servers” 12 which are accessible by “clientcomputers” or “user terminals” 14, which are typically used byindividual users or comprise a collection of personal computersinterconnected via a Local Area Network or LAN, which are capable ofaccessing the Internet via a private Internet service or access provider(ISP) 16, such as the AT&T Worldnet Service® or the IBM Global Network®,or via an online service provider 18, such as America Online®,Compuserve®, the Microsoft Network® or Prodigy® (to name the mostpopular online service providers). One of the most common applicationsof the Internet is to support the World Wide Web (“WWW” or “the web”),which is a collection of servers on the Internet that utilize theHypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a known application protocol thatfacilitates data exchange between client and server and provides usersor clients 14 access to files which can include text, graphics, sound,video, etc., using a standard page description language referred to asHypertext Markup Language (HTML).

Each client computer 14 as indicated in FIG. 1, includes a “web browser”or browser loaded on the client computer's hard drive 21. A browser is acommon software tool which allows graphical user interface (GUI)-basedaccess to Internet network servers 12 through Internet ServiceProviders, ISPs, 16 or online service providers 18. A server 12functions as a so-called “web site” which supports and maintains aplurality of files in the form of documents and pages. A UniformResource Locator or URL identifies a specific network path to a server12 or some resource located on that server which has a known syntax fordefining the network connection. The fundamental intrinsic capabilitiesof the browser are: (1) the ability to communicate with other computersusing HTTP, and (2) the ability to process and present HTML documents tothe user via a graphical user interface, GUI.

Recent versions of most browsers provide a plethora of other featuresbeyond these two capabilities. For example, to increase its flexibility,the browser's intrinsic capabilities may be further extended through theuse of software components, often called “controls” or “plug-ins”. Whilethe intrinsic capabilities of the browser are linked at compile-time(“statically”), the code which implements the capabilities of thecontrol or plug-in component is linked with the browser's code atrun-time (“dynamically”). By supporting these components throughstandard interface definitions, the browser's capabilities can beextended in ways never anticipated by its original manufacturer.

Another type of flexibility is offered when the browser implements somesort of command interpreter which is capable of interpreting andexecuting a code stream at run-time. In this case, the browser acts as asort of “virtual machine” whose run-time behavior is completely governedby the code stream which it processes. The total scope of capabilitieswhich can be realized with this approach is defined by the set ofoperations supported by the command interpreter.

Individually and collectively, these mechanisms provide a powerful andflexible platform which supports a wide range of Internet-basedapplications. Currently, some of the emerging standards govern theoperation of these mechanisms, although the invention is not limited inscope in that respect. For example, Microsoft has created an interfacedefinition for Windows “dynamic link libraries” and for ActiveX softwarecomponents. Sun Microsystems has defined a software component modelcalled JavaBeans. Sun has also created a virtual machine architectureand language called Java, which is supported via a variety ofcommercially available compilers. While a Java compiler translatessource code into pseudo-code output called an “applet”, which is in turnprocessed by the Java virtual machine, Microsoft, Sun, and others havealso defined a set of HTML scripting languages whose source code isembedded directly in an HTML page. Microsoft's VBScript, JScript andSun's JavaScript are examples of these embedded scripting languages.

The standard web page description language, HTML, provides basicdocument formatting and permits the web site developer to create andspecify “links” or “hyperlinks” to other servers and files. Obtaining aweb page or connecting to a web site requires the specification of a URLusing an HTML-compliant client browser. After specifying the URL, clientcomputer 14 initiates a request to server 12 identified in the link andconnects to the web site and receives a web page. The request by clientcomputer 14 to server 12 via the link is advantageously communicated viaa TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) communication,although the invention is not limited in this respect and other networkconnections or Internet protocols may be used.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is describedbased on the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, it is noted that theinvention is not limited in scope in that arrangement and other types ofsystem connections may be employed. For example, a plurality of userterminals may be connected to an online provider via dedicatedcommunication channels, such as telephone lines. In accordance with thisembodiment, the server system provides certain information that causesthe cursor image on the video monitor of the user terminal to display animage as specified by the server system. As a result, the server systemremotely defines and manages the shape and appearance of the cursorimage in accordance with a pre-specified condition. The shape andappearance of the cursor image may correspond to the actual content ofthe data being provided to the user. Furthermore, regardless of theactual content of the data being provided to the user, the shape andappearance of the cursor image may be specified by the server systemsuch that a plurality of user terminals at a desired point in timereceive appropriate instructions to display the specified cursor image.

FIG. 2 provides a block diagram of hardware and software which isrepresentative of a client-server network system connected via theInternet according to one embodiment of the present invention. The useror client computer or user terminal 14 typically includes a number ofhardware components and software subsystems which cooperate to deliverthe wide range of capabilities demanded by a modern computer applicationor program. These include not only the basic computational processor 23and memory 20, but also a variety of input and output devices such asthe keyboard (not shown), mouse 22, video display monitor 24, audiospeakers 26, non-volatile storage such as a hard drive 21 and networkcommunications systems 46 such as a modem among other devices. Userterminal 14 is controlled via an operating system (“OS”) 28 which servesto organize all the disparate elements within the computer 14 and exposethem in a consistent and organized way to a program which may need someor all of these capabilities. The interface between a program, which isgenerally loaded within the computer's memory 20, and the systems underthe control of the operating system 28 is commonly referred to as theApplication Programming Interface (“API”) 30, which is essentially alibrary of functions which the program (“application”) can invoke whenit needs to interact with any of these hardware subsystems.

As illustrated, user terminal 14 contains a browser 32 loaded within thecomputer's memory 20, and is adapted to communicate with a browserextension or browser plug-in 34, both which are adapted to communicatewith the operating system 28 via the application programming interfaceAPI 30. As illustrated, operating system 28 is supplemented by a set of“drivers” which control and provide the operating system 28 with accessto peripheral devices which are a part of user terminal 14. The driversinclude display driver 36 which controls and provides the operatingsystem 28 with access to the cursor image or pointer 44 projected onvideo display monitor 24, a mouse driver 38 which controls and providesthe operating system 28 with access to mouse 22, an audio driver 40which controls and provides the operating system 28 with access tospeakers 26. Operating system 28 is configured to provide animatedimages to the video monitor. Furthermore, in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention, the display driver may be configured toprovide animated images to the video monitor. Operating system 28 alsoprovides access to a communication port 46 such as a modem which servesas a communication interface to the Internet 10.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, user terminal 14 is connected toInternet 10 via a modem or some other communication interface such thatinformation may be transmitted between user terminal 14 and Internet 10via communication lines such as telephone cables or fiber opticnetworks, among other types of transmission systems. Internet 10 is alsoconnected to numerous network servers, such as a simplifiedrepresentation of a WWW server which is indicated as 48. Server 48 isprovided with memory 50 into which the contents of certain data filesare loaded. Such data files, among others, include Cursor Display Code52, Cursor Information 54, and an HTML page containing Cursor DisplayInstructions 56, all of which are discussed in greater detail hereinbelow. As illustrated in FIG. 2, these data files 52, 54, 56 are shownresiding on the same server computer. However, the interconnected natureof the WWW allows these data files 52, 54, 56 to exist anywhere onInternet 10 For example, files 52 containing cursor display codes may bestored in various server systems, while files 54 containing cursorinformation may be stored in the same or other server systems, and files56 containing HTML pages containing cursor display instructions may bestored in the same or yet other server systems.

In operation, WWW server 48 includes software which recognizes filerequests received from WWW clients or users by communication port 58 andfulfills these requests by retrieving data stored in data files, i.e.,Cursor Display Code 52, Cursor Information 54, and an HTML pagecontaining Cursor Display Instructions 56.

One of the characteristics of most recent software systems is thegraphically oriented user interface (GUI) which is viewable on videomonitor 24. This graphical user interface helps to organize and filterthe vast quantities of information which is accessible in a userterminal 14. Fundamental to the graphical user interface is the pointingdevice, generally mouse 22 which allows the user to manipulate or inputinformation into the user terminal 14. Movement of mouse 22 is monitoredby user terminal 14 which translates this movement into a correspondingmovement of cursor 44 viewable on video monitor 24. As such, operatingsystem 28 may expose, as some subset of its API 30, a set of functionswhich can be used to control aspects of the behavior and/or appearanceof cursor 44.

By combining the capabilities of browser extensions, such as indicatedby 34 in FIG. 2, with the capabilities to modify cursor 44, it ispossible for a WWW server, such as that indicated by 48 in FIG. 2, tocontrol the display characteristics of cursor 44 displayed on videomonitor 24 of the user's computer 14. By doing so, a cursor controlarrangement is established which is capable of delivering informationwhich supplements, enhances, or is completely independent of, otherinformation transmitted from a server, such as indicated by 48, throughtraditional means as via a communications port 58. The basic conceptualcomponents of such exemplary system for modifying cursor 44 comprisesCursor Display Code 52, Cursor Information 54, and Cursor DisplayInstructions 56, discussed hereinabove with reference to FIG. 2.Preferably, Cursor Display Code 52 comprises a set of instructions whichare executed on the user terminal 14 and which interact directly withapplication programming interface 30 of the user terminal 14 andoperating system 28 so as to accomplish the actual change of cursor 44.Cursor Information 54 is, advantageously, a set of data which identifiesthe actual cursor image or images and corresponding audio content ifdesired. In one embodiment of the invention, Cursor Display Instruction56 includes data that convey information that is used by Cursor DisplayCode 52 to control drivers, such as 36, 40, 46, and to identify suchthings, which among others consist of: the physical location of CursorInformation 54, the format of its representation, the intended mannerand duration of its display, and information pertaining to how (and forhow long) any cached Cursor Information 54 should be stored.

In general, the fundamental elements of the process of changing cursor44 displayed on video monitor 24 of user terminal 14 are as follows:Cursor Display Instructions 56 are initially embedded inside an HTMLdocument, e.g. a web page. When browser 32 of the user terminal 14encounters Cursor Display Instructions 56, Cursor Display Code 52 isretrieved then invoked. As part of the invocation, the browser passes tothe Cursor Display Code coded information sufficient to specify themanner of the display. Cursor Display Code 52 then retrieves CursorInformation 54 either from within memory 20 of user terminal 14 or fromstorage at a remote site and then causes the Cursor Information tointeract with the display system, such as display driver 36, of userterminal 14 via the application programming interface 30 of operatingsystem 28. This interaction causes Cursor Information 54 to be accessedby the display driver 36 in order to accomplish the intended effect,e.g., the change or transformation of cursor 44 visible on video monitor24, and a corresponding sound information may be heard on speakers 26.

FIG. 4 illustrates the Cursor Display Instruction as a resource withinan HTML document which is retrieved from a remote server. The CursorDisplay Instructions as shown in FIG. 4 are written for ActiveX®technology, although the invention is not limited in scope to thattechnology. Among the information included within this resourcedefinition is an identifier of the Cursor Display Code (the ActiveX®control), and the ActiveX® control's physical location on the Internet.This information is listed in lines 202-205 which generally identifiesthe Cursor Display Code. Line 204 of the Cursor Display Instruction isan identifier which comprises a globally unique name, often called a“Class ID”, and which allows a particular ActiveX® control to bedistinguished from all other ActiveX® controls, such that the wrongActiveX® control is prevented from being utilized or retrieved. Theremainder of the Cursor Display Instruction listed in lines 206-224include the ActiveX® parameters or argument list as discussedhereinafter with reference to FIG. 3. The argument list includesparameters which provide information such as the type of cursor image(line 206), where the image can be retrieved from if not alreadyresident on the user computer (line 207), where usage statistics are tobe transmitted to (line 208), how long a changed image should remainbefore reverting, if at all, to the initial image (line 209), whetherthe cursor image is cached in the user terminal (line 210), whether thetransmitting server is authorized to send cursor display instructions(line 211), the dormant delay duration (line 212), the URL of a filewhich specifies cursor trajectory path (line 213), the URL of a filewhich specifies how the cursor's shape should change based on itslocation on the screen (line 214), the URL of a file which specifies howthe cursor's shape should change based on its velocity (line 215), theURL of a file which specifies how the cursor's shape should change basedon modifications to the mouse button or keyboard state (line 217),specification of the type of modification intended (line 218),specification of the priority of intended modification (line 219),specification that the modifications will occur as a result of thetransfer of a series of data files (line 220), the URL of a file whichspecifies the display of a satellite image that tracks the movement ofthe cursor image (line 221-223), and location of additional displayinstructions (line 224). It is noted that the invention is not limitedin scope in this respect and other features may be included in theCursor Display Instructions data.

One embodiment of this method in accordance with the present inventionis set forth in greater detail in the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 3.This embodiment is discussed with reference to the use of ActiveX®technology currently promoted by the Microsoft Corp. The ActiveX®technology provides a mechanism for defining the format of CursorDisplay Instructions 56, for defining, identifying, and in someinstances dynamically retrieving Cursor Display Code 52, and forimplementing the interaction between Cursor Display Instructions 56 andthe Cursor Display Code 52 as previously described. Although theflowchart in FIG. 3 is discussed with reference to ActiveX® technology,the invention is not limited in this respect, and other technologies foruse with browser extensions or “plug-ins” may be utilized in accordancewith various embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in FIG.3. Furthermore, additional embodiments in accordance with the principlesof the present invention may be incorporated within other applicationsoftware employed in the user terminal. For example, the operatingsystem or the browser itself may be configured to incorporate themechanism for receiving and recognizing the Cursor Display Instructionsand in return provide additional instructions for changing the image orappearance of the cursor display.

With reference to FIG. 3, in step 102, browser 32 of user terminal 14retrieves an HTML file containing Cursor Display Instructions 56. TheHTML file is retrieved when the user directs browser 32 to a remote WWWserver site (such as, for example server 48 as indicated in FIG. 2) byspecifying the uniform resource locator, URL, of the site on theInternet where the HTML file is located. When the HTML file isretrieved, it is loaded from the remote WWW server site at which pointbrowser 32 of user terminal 14 begins its routine parsing of the HTMLdocument and eventually encounters a reference to an ActiveX® control orsome other information coded in an appropriate programming language suchas Sun Microsystem Inc.'s Java® or VBScript®, which is embedded in theCursor Display Instructions 56 within the HTML document. The CursorDisplay Code is capable of interacting with the application programminginterface 30 of operating system 28 for the purpose of performing thechange, transformation or “swap” of cursor 44 as it is presentlydisplayed on video monitor 24.

Upon encountering Cursor Display Instructions 56, browser 32 recognizesCursor Display Instructions 56 as a request to invoke the particularActiveX® control with a particular argument list or set of parameters asillustrated in FIG. 4. At step 104, browser 32 examines Cursor DisplayInstructions 56 and uses a unique class identification within the CursorDisplay Instructions 56 to determine whether Cursor Display Code 52(ActiveX® control) is already resident within local memory 20 of usercomputer 14.

If the Cursor Display Code 52 is not resident in local memory 14,generally in the form of a browser extension or plug-in 34, or if localmemory contains an obsolete version of Cursor Display Code 52, browser32 attempts, at step 106, to retrieve the ActiveX® control from a remoteserver on the Internet and store the Cursor Display Code in local memory20 of user terminal 14 at step 108. With reference to FIG. 4, thesesteps correspond to lines 202-205.

Cursor Display Code 52 retrieved in step 106 may be client-platformspecific and may also be browser specific such that browser 32 maytransmit specific details to the remote server so that the remote servercan deliver the appropriate Cursor Display Code 52.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, browserextension or plug-in 34 may be configured such that it can recognizeCursor Display Instructions based on any one of the availabletechnologies, such as Active X, JavaBeans, JavaScript or VBScript.

Furthermore, it is understood that data compression techniques may beused in order to reduce the amount of network traffic involved in thetransmission of data over the Internet.

After Cursor Display Code 52 has been recognized by user terminal 14 asat step 104 or retrieved and loaded therein at steps 106 and 108,operating system 28 is queried to determine the current cursor displayconfiguration and this information is temporarily cached in local memory20 of user terminal 14 at step 110 so that the cursor configuration mayeventually be restored to its original state. Before any changes aremade to cursor 44, the system at step 111 determines whether server 48is authorized to change cursor 44. If authorization is not confirmed, nochanges to cursor 44 transpire.

Step 112 is the first step which is executed from within the code of theActiveX® control. At step 112, the ActiveX® control determines whetherthe image specified (Cursor Information 54) in the ActiveX® argumentlist which is to become the new cursor image exists in local memory 20of user terminal 14. If the specified image in the ActiveX® argumentlist exists in local memory 20, it is retrieved therefrom at step 114.An additional argument in the ActiveX® argument list (line 207)identifies the location of this data on a remote server. If thespecified image does not exist in local memory 20, this data is utilizedby the ActiveX® control to retrieve Cursor Information 54 at step 116from the specified location.

At step 118, an additional argument added within the ActiveX® controlcan be used to determine whether and for how long Cursor Information 54should be cached in local memory 20. At step 120 Cursor Information 54is cached in local memory 20. At step 122, the cursor is caused tochange in the manner consistent with the retrieved Cursor DisplayInstructions 56. In an alternative embodiment, an additional step may beincluded which provides the user with the option of saving and storingthe retrieved Cursor Information 54 in the computer's permanent memoryon hard drive 21 even after the retrieved cursor is displayed. Storingthe retrieved Cursor Information 54 in the computer's permanent memorysaves time on the next occasion when the user loads a web page whichrequires the same cursor since the cursor is already stored within thecomputer's memory and need not be retrieved from a remote server.

Cursor Display Instructions 56 cause the invocation of an operatingsystem function which causes the cursor to be displayed on video monitor24. More specifically, the ActiveX® control invokes the applicationprogramming interface 30 of operating system 28 which causes the cursorimage displayed on video monitor 24 to change to the form intended asrecited in the argument list. The changed cursor is not limited toimage, and may also include animation as well as sound. It should alsobe appreciated that most computers utilize a multitude of cursor imagesdepending upon the application and task which is being run on thecomputer. The invention is not limited to changing only a single cursorimage and any and all cursor images controlled by the computer's displaydriver 36 may be caused to change.

At step 124 the ActiveX® control may send usage information to aparticular remote server as coded in Cursor Display Instruction 56 orCursor Display Code 52. This information can be used to calculate theusage statistics of particular cursor images or cursor information andthe context in which they are retrieved and viewed by users. In thisparticular embodiment, this information is conveyed as a data filetransmitted to the remote server via HTTP. The invention is not,however, limited in the type of information and/or statistics which maybe transmitted to the server, nor is the invention limited to beingconveyed via HTTP as those skilled in the art will understand that suchinformation may be conveyed via other transfer protocols. With referenceto FIG. 4, this step corresponds to line 208. Additionally, theinformation may contain an identifying code for the server which issuedthe web page which contained the Cursor Display Instructions. Thisinformation could be used, for example, to verify that the issuingserver has been granted the appropriate license to use the technology,by comparing a list of authorized servers or through digital signaturevalidation.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, thelicensing arrangement is described in more detail, hereinafter. It isnoted that licensing enforcement of the cursor display technology couldbe accomplished in several ways, and the invention is not limited inscope in that respect. As discussed previously, the server thattransmits a web page may include the identity of the server in the formof a server ID within the Cursor Display Instructions. The user terminalthen transmits the server ID to another server that among other thingsfunctions as a licensing body (“Licensing Body”) so as to authenticatethe server that transmits the web page as a valid licensee. Should thisauthentication fail, the execution of Cursor Display Instructions maynot occur. In an alternative implementation, the execution of CursorDisplay Instructions may be allowed to execute even if the issuer failsauthentication. Such an infraction could be logged by the Licensing Bodyfor use in enforcement through traditional channels. For performancereasons it may be desirable to collect the usage information for aplurality of Cursor Display Instructions as the user accesses multipleservers, and transmit the collection of information in batch form to theLicensing Body.

An alternative embodiment would involve the inclusion of an encryptedauthentication code within the Cursor Display Instructions, asillustrated in line 211 of FIG. 4, or via a separate exchange of databetween the client and server. In order to ensure that this code couldnot be re-used by other, non-authorized sites, it could for example bederived from the server's IP address, the date and time at which it isgenerated, the argument list, or some other information that isaccessible to the client. Another possibility would involve thetransmission of a unique or pseudo-unique code, from the client to theserver. Upon receipt of this authentication code, the client wouldperform a decryption and verify its authenticity. Under suchcircumstances, the server software could be augmented with anAuthentication Code Module supplied by the Licensing Body whichgenerates and encrypts this code. The mechanism by which thisaugmentation could occur is similar to that discussed previously in thecontext of extending the client browser. For example, the serversoftware could be modified and statically linked to the AuthenticationCode. Alternatively, it could be dynamically linked at run-time. Anotheralternative would be to implement the Authentication Code as its ownprocess on the server and facilitate an inter-process communicationprotocol such as the Common Gateway Interface (“CGI”).

At step 126, an ActiveX® control argument is used to determine whetherthe changed cursor should revert to its initial configuration. If it isintended to revert the changed cursor to its initial configuration, thereversion is paused at step 128 for a specified time period. After it isdetermined at step 130 that the specified time period has lapsed, thechanged cursor reverts to its original configuration at step 132.

Whether the cursor is caused to revert to its initial configuration isof concern to many users so as to ensure that the user's computerconfiguration is not permanently altered as a result of the process ofchanging the cursor. As such, additional alternative measures may beadded into Cursor Display Instructions 54 such that the changed cursorcould be restored to its original configuration when the ActiveX®control is loaded or unloaded, when the computer starts up, is rebootedor is shut down, when the browser is activated or shut down, when ananimated cursor completes its animation sequence, when instructed by aremote server, or as a result of some user input such as setting anoption in the browser or accessing another web page or site. Analternative to adding parameters to the Cursor Display Instructionswould be to control the process of changing the cursor to its initialstate by a control program downloaded by and executed on the clientcomputer. An example written in VBScript and interacting with anActiveX® control is included in FIG. 5.

Additionally, one of the significant attributes of this embodiment isthe manner in which Cursor Display Code 52 is retrieved from a remoteserver if it is not located in the computer's local memory. Since CursorDisplay Code 52 may be operating system or browser specific, it may benecessary that the server with which the user computer 14 iscommunicating be informed by user terminal 14 of the specific type ofCursor Display Code 52 which is desired. In another embodiment of theinvention, browser extension or plug-in 34 may be configured such thatit can recognize Cursor Display Instructions based on any availabletechnology such as ActiveX® and JavaScript.

The operation of steps 102-132 as set forth in FIG. 3, may beillustrated pictorially in FIGS. 7-9. FIG. 7 illustrates an example of atypical web page 60 as it would appear on a user's video monitor 24having the standard arrow cursor 44. In FIG. 8, there is illustrated adifferent web page 60 a having a banner advertisement 62 for Fizzy Colawhich contains Cursor Display Instructions. When web page 60 a loads,the Cursor Display Instructions cause arrow cursor 44 to change into aFizzy cola bottle shaped cursor 44 a in conjunction with the Fizzy Colabanner advertisement. As illustrated in FIG. 9, if the user then loads anew web page 60 b which is not provided with Cursor DisplayInstructions, the cola bottle shaped cursor of FIG. 8, reverts to thestandard arrow cursor 44.

It is also understood that ActiveX® is but one of numerous technologiesutilized over the Internet with which a user's computer may interact inbringing about the change or transformation of the cursor displayed onvideo monitor 24. Other implementations may utilize differenttechnologies such as Windows dynamic link libraries, VBScript andJScript from Microsoft, as well as Java, JavaScript and JavaBeans fromSun Microsystems Inc. While these examples represent the dominantstandards-based definitions, proprietary implementations could also bedeveloped. Accordingly, while ActiveX® represents one embodiment ofdistributing and invoking Cursor Display Information 54 on a user'scomputer 14, it is to be appreciated that there are a variety ofalternative implementations, and this particular implementation shouldnot be considered a limitation of the invention. For example,alternative versions of browser 32 may encapsulate the appropriateoperating system application programming interface call within their owncode modules such that a browser extension 34 is not required.

In yet another embodiment of the invention the tasks described in steps102 through 132 may be employed cooperatively between browser andbrowser extension or plug-in 34. Furthermore, browser 32 may employ acomputational or processing engine such as an interpreter (as is thecase with the Java® programming language, for example) which can extendthe capabilities of browser 32 to a virtually unlimited degree.

It is also to be understood that in the course of carrying out theprocess of changing the cursor as discussed hereinabove, user terminal14 may communicate with a multitude of remote servers as opposed to justa single server. For example, Cursor Display Codes may be retrieved fromone remote server, Cursor Instructions may be retrieved from a secondremote server, and the user terminal 14 may also be in communicationwith a third server to which it is transmitting the usage statistics.

Features identified in reference with FIG. 4 are described in moredetail hereinafter. It is noted that in accordance with one embodimentof the invention, it may be desirable to modify the Cursor Display Codeto improve its performance or enhance its capabilities. The server maytransmit version information in the Cursor Display Instructions asillustrated in line 205 of FIG. 4. The Cursor Display Code could comparethis information with its own version information in order to determinewhether it has been rendered obsolete by a more recent version. If so,the Cursor Display Code could retrieve the current version from a remoteserver and invoke execution on the new version.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the position, aswell as the image, of the user terminal's cursor may be controlled by aremote server. This embodiment would be implemented within the CursorDisplay Code 52 such that additional information could be passed toCursor Display Code 52 via Cursor Display Instructions 56. Theadditional information passed to Cursor Display Code 52 would containcode Which indicates: (1) that the cursor position control is intended,(2) the conditions under which the cursor should be moved, and (3) thesource of the data which specifies the particular movement that isintended. The latter could be stored in memory on a remote server andretrieved in a manner similar to retrieving Cursor Display Instructions56 or the Cursor Display Code 52. For example, if no user input isreceived for a specified interval, the cursor image could change and theposition of the cursor could be set such that it follows a specifiedtrajectory for several seconds, then reverts to its original state asillustrated by line 213 of FIG. 4.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention it is possible tovary the modification to the cursor as a function of cursor position.For example, the cursor pointer could be controlled such that it“points” to a specific location on the screen regardless of the cursor'slocation on the screen as illustrated in line 214 of FIG. 4.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention it is possible tovary the modification to the cursor as a function of cursor velocity.For example, the cursor image could change from a stationary bird to abird with flapping wings only when the cursor is moved quickly acrossthe screen as illustrated in line 215 of FIG. 4. Furthermore, it ispossible to vary the modification to the system-level user interfaceattributes as a function of mouse button state or keyboard state. Forexample, the image of a cube could be replaced with that of ajack-in-the-box when the mouse button is depressed.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, it is possibleto modify other “system-level” attributes of the client computer's userinterface, hereafter called “system-level user interface attributes”.These attributes, as illustrated in FIG. 6 are typically under thecontrol of the operating system and, as such, they exist independentlyof the user “applications” (programs) and data which are stored on thecomputer and interact with that operating system. User applicationsinteract with the operating system to deliver the computer'sfunctionality to the user Examples of user applications includeword-processors, spreadsheets, web browsers, games, etc. The operatingsystem may contribute certain user interface elements to the userinterface of the applications running on it.

Because many of these attributes are inherited from the operating systemby all applications running on that operating system, applications tendto exhibit a degree of commonality in their user interfaces. Examples ofthese attributes include: the shape and color of the cursor 401, theshape and color of a status bar which displays current state informationto the user 403, the shape and color of the scroll bar which indicatesthe relative position and scope of the displayed sub-image to that ofthe underlying larger image to the user 407, the shape and color of thetitle bar which displays current state information 409, the shape andcolor of icons representing standard window operations such as close,minimize display size, restore display size, etc. 411. Thus, thesesystem level attributes may also be modified in response to CursorDisplay Instructions data.

In addition, the operating system itself may have a user interface.Examples include: the images and sounds displayed when the computerstarts or shuts down, the background image (“wallpaper”) against whichother graphical elements are displayed 413, file catalogs and fileselection mechanisms 415, system icons 416, file invocation mechanisms417, buttons 419, process selection mechanisms 421, etc. Furtherexamples include the icons representing various system elements orinformation such as files 418, groups of files 420, files marked fordeletion 422, as well as standard, information bearing “dialog boxes”,such as cancel, warning, illegal operation, stop, accept, continue, etc.423. The system may also support a set of audibly distinct waveformswhich may be used to convey similar information to the user. Theseoperating system user interfaces may also be modified in response to aCursor Display Instruction data.

In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention a pluralityof modifications to the system-level user interface attributes may occursimultaneously. For example, the cursor could animate while an audiowaveform is playing, as the minimize display icon changes to a specificimage.

A further feature of the invention is to accumulate informationregarding the user's exposure time to various system-level userinterface attribute modifications, and to vary the exposure to thosemodifications accordingly. For example, the client could transmitexposure data to the server and the server would select a version of theimage based on that data. Furthermore, the exposure data could betransmitted as part of the usage statistics discussed previously.

Another feature of the invention is to monitor the load being placed onthe client system by the user and schedule data exchange with theservers so that it occurs when it is least disruptive to the user'sactivities.

It is also possible to allow the user to control the level of interfacemodification he or she wishes to entertain. For example, the user couldspecify that only those modifications of specific types, as illustratedon line 218 of FIG. 4 or of specific priority should be delivered, oreven that none be delivered, as illustrated at lines 218 and 219 of FIG.4. This specification could be implemented directly by the user on theclient system, or could be implemented through communication with aremote server.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention it is possible totransmit the image and/or audio data which specifies the modification asa series of data files which are delivered in a continuous stream to theclient, as illustrated at line 220 of FIG. 4. These files are exposed tothe user before the complete set of data has been delivered, therebyproviding the capability for the initiation of long animations or audiofiles before the entire quantity of data has been received by theclient.

A further feature of the invention is to support the display of a“satellite” image which tracks the cursor's position on the screen. Forexample, the cursor image could be replaced with that of a mouse, andthe image of a cat could be displayed near that mouse. When the cursoris moved, the satellite image moves accordingly at a specific offset, asillustrated at lines 221-223 of FIG. 4.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a mechanism for theuser to quickly establish a connection with a specific server based onthe specific user interface attribute modification which is in effectwhen the mechanism is invoked. For example, the user could press aspecific key sequence on the keyboard and immediately jump to the website related to the cursor image which is currently displayed.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, it is possibleto convey additional detailed Cursor Display Instructions as a separatefile which is explicitly retrieved from a server by the Cursor DisplayCode, as illustrated at line 224 of FIG. 4.

For each modification to the system-level user interface attributes, anappropriate set of display instructions must be transmitted to theclient. These could take the form of additional parameters in the CursorDisplay Instructions as discussed previously, or they could berepresented within a code module which is received by and executed onthe client. As discussed previously, Java, and its related technologiescould be used for such a purpose, but use of these technologies shouldnot considered a limitation of the invention.

It is noted that there are numerous ways in which a system-level userinterface attribute modification is accomplished in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention. It is further noted that systemlevel user interface attributes may be modified independently or inconjunction with cursor modification. Furthermore, the system-level userinterface attribute modification may be related to specific informationdisplayed on the rest of the user's screen (hereafter referred to as“specific information”) in many different ways. Thus, the presentinvention is not limited in scope to how content providers may relatethe system-level user interface attribute with the specific information.Rather, at least one of the goals of the present invention is to enablethe content providers to modify the system-level user interfaceattribute whenever and wherever they see fit. For example, contentproviders may modify system-level user interface attributes at a remoteuser's terminal for advertising, entertainment, information delivery,celebrating an event, or other reasons, and therefore, the invention isnot limited in scope in that respect. Furthermore, when a contentprovider elects to display a specified system-level user interfaceattribute in conjunction with and corresponding to specific informationconveyed via the user's terminal, the cursor image and the backgrounddisplay data are deemed related.

Additional examples intended to illustrate some applications of thepresent invention are explained below, although the invention is notlimited in scope to any one of these examples.

Thus, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a modifiedcursor might take the appearance of a “Fizzy Cola” bottle when a “FizzyCola” banner advertisement appears among the display data of a popularsearch engine's site. Similarly, the cursor can be modified foradvertising purposes to represent Fizzy Cola's logo, its corporatemascot, images of its products or services, slogans, icons, brandimages, advertising messages (the word “Thirsty?”, for example),abstract suggestions (such as a straw or glass), etc.

Alternatively, Fizzy Cola, on its own site, or homepage, might have apicture of a bottle of Fizzy in the middle of the page (in the displaydata). A dynamic cursor image could then be used to show a personholding a straw in such a way that the straw always points from the usertoward the top of the Fizzy bottle, no matter where the cursor moves onthe screen. The straw, in this case, might be “attached” to the cursorimage (part of the same image) or could be separate, “satellite” image,a “sprite,” whose movement on the screen (in this case) is related tothe movement of the cursor. Sprites, which can appear and disappear asdesired, can enhance the invention by enabling the use of graphicalelements which are associated with the cursor but which reside outsidethe limited cursor “space” (which in some systems may be, at maximum, 32by 32 pixels). For the purposes of the invention, however, there shouldbe no limitation to the size of the cursor.

Additional examples of modification to the cursor include rendering thecursor as a baseball bat (on a site with sports information), a pink butotherwise standard-shaped pointer (on a site about the Pink Panther), awitch-on-a-stick to celebrate Halloween, the Statue of Liberty tocelebrate the Fourth of July, etc. All of the foregoing cursor imagescould be enhanced with related animations, such as the bat hitting theball.

Similarly, the present invention can be used to replace not just thestandard arrow but other standard cursors as well, such as the generichand with pointing index finger (the icon commonly used in browsers toindicate that the pointer is positioned above a hot link). A site forchildren might, for example, replace this generic pointing-hand cursorwith the pointing “paw” of a furry animal. A site dealing with horrormovies might choose to replace this pointing hand with a bonyskeleton-like hand.

Additional examples involve cursors with text or numbers. For example,the cursor might contain the text “Right-Click Now!” prompting users toclick the right button of their mouse (where right-clicking on the mousecould, for example, trigger the delivery of a new page of display data).It may also be desirable in certain cases to put alphanumeric data inthe cursor “space” to convey information to users, such as stock prices,baseball game scores, the temperature in Florida, etc. The data can bestatic, semi-static (i.e. updated periodically), or dynamic (updatedfrequently—possibly incorporating available streaming-data anddata-compression technologies).

Use of associated sound, sprites, animations, and modified systemdisplay elements are provided as enhancements to the basic invention.For example, a Fizzy cola mascot could appear in the cursor space inconjunction with the speakers, attached to the user's machine, playingthe sound of the mascot saying, “drink Fizzy!” Any time a contentprovider elects to incorporate said enhancements in conjunction with anew modified cursor image, the cursor image and said enhancements havebeen deemed related.

The present invention allows users to change cursor images, it alsoallows them to change them back. It may be desirable to revert thepointer to a previous or generic pointer image. Given the Fizzy Colaexample above, if the page containing display data changes and there isno longer an advertisement for Fizzy, but rather an advertisement forits rival, Jazzy Cola, it may be desirable to ensure the removal of theFizzy cursor image(s) and accompanying enhancements.

The foregoing examples are not intended to suggest limited uses for thisinvention; to the contrary, the examples are intended to illustrate thewide range of uses for this invention. The collective creativity of theonline advertising, art, design, commerce, content publishing, andrelated industries will develop many novel and unforeseen ways to usethe present invention. The versatility of the present invention shouldnot be regarded as a limitation on its scope.

Thus, while there have been shown and described and pointed outfundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferredembodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the disclosedinvention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to belimited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

It is to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn toscale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature.

1. A system for displaying at least one image in association with acursor image, comprising: at least one client computer receiving contentinformation including at least one cursor display instruction from atleast one server computer, the client computer including a display and aprocessor, the at least one cursor display instruction specifying anappearance of the at least one image, following receipt of the contentinformation, the at least one client computer processing the at leastone cursor display instruction and displaying the at least one image inaccordance with the appearance specified by the at least one cursordisplay instruction, wherein the specified appearance includespromotional content, and wherein the at least one image having thespecified appearance tracks a movement of said cursor image and isdisplayed as one of: (1) at least a part of said cursor image; or (2)separate from said cursor image at an offset from the position of saidcursor image on said display.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein saidcontent information further includes specified information to bedisplayed on said display, and wherein said processor is furtheroperative, in response to movement of said cursor image over at least aportion of said specified information displayed on said display, toprocess said at least one display instruction to cause said at least oneimage to selectively appear and disappear on said display.
 3. The systemof claim 2 wherein said processor is further operative, in response tomovement of said cursor image over at least a portion of said specifiedinformation displayed on said display, to process said at least onedisplay instruction to modify said cursor image.
 4. The system of claim2 wherein said processor is further operative, while said cursor imageis disposed over at least a portion of said specified informationdisplayed on said display, to process said at least one displayinstruction to modify said at least one image.
 5. The system of claim 1wherein said processor is further operative to process said at least onedisplay instruction to cause said at least one image to change in apredetermined manner with respect to said cursor image on said display.6. The system of claim 5 wherein said processor is further operative toprocess said at least one display instruction to cause said at least oneimage to change in said predetermined manner with respect to said cursorimage, thereby causing said at least one image to move in apredetermined relationship with said cursor image on said display. 7.The system of claim 1 wherein said content information includes videoinformation corresponding to at least one video file.
 8. The system ofclaim 7 wherein said processor is further operative to process saidvideo information to modify at least one of said cursor image and saidat least one image in accordance with video content contained in said atleast one video file.
 9. The system of claim 1 wherein said contentinformation includes audio information corresponding to at least oneaudio file.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein said processor is furtheroperative to process said audio information to play audio contentcontained in said at least one audio file.
 11. The system of claim 1wherein said content information includes image informationcorresponding to said at least one image.
 12. The system of claim 11wherein said processor is further operative to process said imageinformation, said image information including at least one of data usedto form the image having the specified appearance for subsequent displayon said display, information corresponding to at least one location ofsaid data used to form the image having the specified appearance, and anidentifier associated with said data used to form the image having thespecified appearance.
 13. The system of claim 1 wherein the promotionalcontent comprises advertising material.
 14. The system of claim 13wherein said advertising material includes at least one of an image of agood or service corresponding to information displayed on said display,and a message corresponding to the information displayed on saiddisplay.
 15. The system of claim 13 wherein said advertising materialincludes at least one of a brand logo and a corporate mascot.
 16. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein image information corresponding to said atleast one image is received from the at least one server computer. 17.The system of claim 16 wherein said at least one server computercomprises at least one first server computer and at least one secondserver computer, wherein said at least one first server computer isoperative to transmit said content information to said client computer,and wherein said at least one second server computer is operative totransmit said image information corresponding to said at least one imageto said client computer.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the imagehaving the specified appearance is displayed at a specified offset fromthe position of said cursor image on said display.
 19. The system ofclaim 18, wherein the specified offset is a fixed offset.
 20. A methodof displaying at least one image in association with a cursor image on adisplay of a client computer, comprising the steps of: receiving, bysaid client computer, content information including at least one cursordisplay instruction from at least one server computer, the at least onecursor display instruction specifying an appearance of the at least oneimage; and following receipt of the content information: processing, bythe client computer, the at least one cursor display instruction; anddisplaying the at least one image in accordance with the appearancespecified by the at least one cursor display instruction, wherein thespecified appearance includes promotional content, and wherein the atleast one image having the specified appearance tracks a movement ofsaid cursor image and is displayed as one of: (1) at least a part ofsaid cursor image; or (2) separate from said cursor image at an offsetfrom the position of said cursor image on said display.
 21. The methodof claim 20 wherein said content information further includes specifiedinformation to be displayed on said display, and wherein said at leastone display instruction is further executable on said client computer,in response to movement of said cursor image over at least a portion ofsaid specified information displayed on said display, for causing saidat least one image to selectively appear and disappear on said clientdisplay.
 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one displayinstruction is further executable on said client computer, in responseto movement of said cursor image over at least a portion of saidspecified information displayed on said display, for modifying saidcursor image.
 23. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least onedisplay instruction is further executable on said client computer, whilesaid cursor image is disposed over at least a portion of said specifiedinformation displayed on said display, for modifying said at least oneimage.
 24. The method of claim 20 wherein said at least one displayinstruction is further executable on said client computer for causingsaid at least one image to change in a predetermined manner with respectto said cursor image on said display.
 25. The method of claim 20 whereinsaid at least one display instruction is further executable on saidclient computer for causing said at least one image to move in apredetermined relationship with said cursor image on said display. 26.The method of claim 20 wherein said content information includes videoinformation corresponding to at least one video file, and wherein saidvideo information is executable on said client computer for modifying atleast one of said cursor image and said at least one image in accordancewith video content contained in said at least one video file.
 27. Themethod of claim 20 wherein said content information includes audioinformation corresponding to at least one audio file, and wherein saidaudio information is executable on said client computer for playingaudio content contained in said at least one audio file.
 28. The methodof claim 20 wherein the promotional content comprises advertisingmaterial.
 29. The method of claim 28 wherein at least one of said cursorimage and said at least one image comprises said advertising material,said advertising material including at least one of an image of a goodor service corresponding to information displayed on said display, and amessage corresponding to the information displayed on said display. 30.The method of claim 28 wherein at least one of said cursor image andsaid at least one image comprise said advertising material, saidadvertising material including at least one of a brand logo and acorporate mascot.
 31. The method of claim 20 further includingtransmitting, by said at least one server computer, image informationcorresponding to said at least one image to said client computer. 32.The method of claim 31 wherein said at least one server computercomprises at least one first server computer and at least one secondserver computer, and wherein said method further includes transmitting,by said at least one first server computer, said content information tosaid client computer, and transmitting, by said at least one secondserver computer, said image information corresponding to said at leastone image to said client computer.
 33. The method of claim 20, whereinthe image having the specified appearance is displayed at a specifiedoffset from the position of said cursor image on said display.
 34. Themethod of claim 33, wherein the specified offset is a fixed offset. 35.A system for modifying a cursor image, comprising: at least one clientcomputer receiving content information from at least one servercomputer, said content information including at least one cursor displayinstruction specifying an appearance of a visual image, followingreceipt of the content information, the at least one client computerprocessing the at least one cursor display instruction and modifying thecursor image to include the visual image and displaying the modifiedcursor image, wherein the visual image includes promotional material,and the visual image tracks a movement of the modified cursor image. 36.The system of claim 35 wherein said content information further includesspecified information to be displayed on said display, and wherein saidvisual image relates to at least a portion of said specified informationdisplayed on said display.
 37. The system of claim 35 wherein saidcontent information further includes specified information to bedisplayed on said display, and wherein said processor is furtheroperative to process said at least one display instruction to modifysaid cursor image to include said visual image in response to movementof said cursor image over a display of at least a portion of saidspecified information displayed on said display.
 38. The system of claim35 wherein said visual image comprises at least one prompt.
 39. Thesystem of claim 38 wherein said at least one prompt comprises at leastone symbol.
 40. The system of claim 35 wherein said visual imagecomprises alphanumeric data.
 41. The system of claim 35 wherein saidvisual image conveys at least one instruction to a user of said clientcomputer.
 42. The system of claim 41 wherein said at least one userinstruction includes an instruction to actuate a mouse associated withsaid client computer.
 43. The system of claim 35 wherein saidpromotional content comprises advertising material.
 44. The system ofclaim 35 wherein said modified cursor image comprises a complete changeof said cursor image.
 45. The system of claim 35 wherein said modifiedcursor image comprises a partial change of said cursor image.
 46. Amethod of modifying a cursor image, comprising the steps of: receiving,at least one client computer, content information from at least oneserver computer, said content information including at least one cursordisplay instruction specifying an appearance of a visual image, andfollowing receipt of the content information: processing, by the clientcomputer, the at least one cursor display instruction; modifying, by theat least one client computer, the cursor image to include the visualimage; and displaying the modified cursor image, wherein the visualimage includes promotional content and the visual image tracks amovement of the modified cursor image.
 47. The method of claim 36wherein said content information further includes specified informationto be displayed on said display, and wherein said visual image relatesto at least a portion of said specified information displayed on saiddisplay.
 48. The method of claim 46 wherein said content informationfurther includes specified information to be displayed on said display,and wherein said at least one display instruction is further executableon said client computer for modifying said cursor image to include saidvisual image in response to movement of said cursor image over a displayof at least a portion of said specified information displayed on saiddisplay.
 49. The method of claim 46 wherein said visual image comprisesat least one prompt.
 50. The method of claim 49 wherein said visualimage comprises said at least one prompt, and wherein said at least oneprompt comprises at least one symbol.
 51. The method of claim 46 whereinsaid visual image comprises alphanumeric data.
 52. The method of claim46 wherein said visual image conveys at least one instruction to a userof said client computer.
 53. The method of claim 52 wherein said visualimage conveys said at least one instruction to a user of said clientcomputer, and wherein said at least one user instruction includes aninstruction to actuate a mouse associated with said client computer. 54.The method of claim 46 wherein said promotional content comprisesadvertising material.
 55. The method of claim 46 wherein said modifiedcursor image comprises a complete change of said cursor image.
 56. Themethod of claim 46 wherein said modified cursor image comprises apartial change of said cursor image.
 57. A system for displaying atleast one image in association with a cursor image on a display of aclient computer, comprising: at least one client computer receivingcontent information including at least one cursor display instructionfrom at least one server computer, the at least one cursor displayinstruction specifying an appearance of a visual image, followingreceipt of the content information, the at least one client computerprocessing the at least one cursor display information, modifying the atleast one image to include the visual image and displaying the modifiedimage at an offset from the cursor image, wherein the visual imageincludes promotional content and tracks a movement of the cursor image.58. The system of claim 57 wherein said content information furtherincludes specified information to be displayed on said display, andwherein said visual image relates to at least a portion of saidspecified information displayed on said display.
 59. The system of claim57 wherein said content information further includes specifiedinformation to be displayed on said display, and wherein the processoris further operative to process said at least one display instruction tomodify said at least one image to include said visual image in responseto movement of said cursor image over a display of at least a portion ofsaid specified information displayed on said display.
 60. The system ofclaim 57 wherein said visual image comprises at least one prompt. 61.The system of claim 60 wherein said at least one prompt comprises atleast one symbol.
 62. The system of claim 57 wherein said visual imagecomprises alphanumeric data.
 63. The system of claim 57 wherein saidvisual image conveys at least one instruction to a user of said clientcomputer.
 64. The system of claim 63 wherein said at least one userinstruction includes an instruction to actuate a mouse associated withsaid client computer.
 65. The system of claim 57 wherein saidpromotional content comprises advertising material.
 66. The system ofclaim 57 wherein said at least one server computer is further operativeto transmit image information corresponding to said at least one imageto said client computer.
 67. The system of claim 66 wherein said atleast one server computer comprises at least one first server computerand at least one second server computer, wherein said at least one firstserver computer is operative to transmit said content information tosaid client computer, and wherein said at least one second servercomputer is operative to transmit said image information correspondingto said at least one image to said client computer.
 68. The system ofclaim 57, wherein the modified image including said visual image isdisplayed at a specified offset from said cursor image on said display.69. The system of claim 68, wherein the specified offset is a fixedoffset.
 70. A method of displaying at least one image in associationwith a cursor image on a display of a client computer, comprising thesteps of: receiving, by at least one client computer, contentinformation from at least one server computer, said content informationincluding at least one cursor display instruction, the at least onecursor display instruction specifying an appearance of a visual image;and following receipt of the content information: processing the atleast one cursor display instruction; modifying the at least on image toinclude the visual image; and displaying the modified image at an offsetfrom the cursor image, wherein the visual image includes promotionalcontent and tracks a movement of the cursor image.
 71. The method ofclaim 70 wherein said content information further includes specifiedinformation to be displayed on said display, and wherein said visualimage relates to at least a portion of said specified informationdisplayed on said display.
 72. The method of claim 70 wherein saidcontent information further includes specified information to bedisplayed on said display, and wherein said at least one displayinstruction is further executable on said client computer for modifyingsaid at least one image to include said visual image in response tomovement of said cursor image over a display of at least a portion ofsaid specified information displayed on said display.
 73. The method ofclaim 70 wherein said visual image comprises at least one prompt. 74.The method of claim 73 including said wherein said visual imagecomprises said at least one prompt, and wherein said at least one promptcomprises at least one symbol.
 75. The method of claim 70 wherein saidvisual image comprises alphanumeric data.
 76. The method of claim 70wherein said visual image conveys at least one instruction to a user ofsaid client computer.
 77. The method of claim 76 wherein said visualimage conveys said at least one instruction to a user of said clientcomputer, and wherein said at least one user instruction includes aninstruction to actuate a mouse associated with said client computer. 78.The method of claim 70 wherein said promotional content comprisesadvertising material.
 79. The method of claim 70 further includingtransmitting, by said at least one server computer, image informationcorresponding to said at least one image to said client computer. 80.The method of claim 79 wherein said at least one server computercomprises at least one first server computer and at least one secondserver computer, and wherein said method further includes transmitting,by said at least one first server computer, said content information tosaid client computer, and transmitting, by said at least one secondserver computer, said image information corresponding to said at leastone image to said client computer.
 81. The method of claim 70, whereinthe modified image including said visual image is displayed at aspecified offset from said cursor image on said display.
 82. The methodof claim 81, wherein the specified offset is a fixed offset.
 83. Amethod of displaying at least one image in association with a cursorimage on a display of a client computer, comprising the steps of:receiving, at said client computer from at least one server computer,content information including at least one cursor display instruction,said content information including a web page and the at least onecursor display instruction specifying an appearance of the at least oneimage; following receipt of the content information: displaying said webpage on said display; processing, at said client computer, said at leastone received cursor display instruction; and displaying said at leastone image in association with said cursor image on said display, said atleast one image being displayed at an offset from said cursor image onsaid display, wherein the at least one image includes promotionalcontent and tracks a movement of the cursor image.
 84. The method ofclaim 83 wherein said second displaying step includes, in response tosaid moving of said cursor image over said specified region of said webpage and said processing of said at least one display instruction,causing said at least one image to selectively appear and disappear onsaid display.
 85. The method of claim 83 further including, in responseto said moving of said cursor image over said specified region of saidweb page and said processing of said at least one display instruction,modifying said cursor image.
 86. The method of claim 83 wherein saidsecond displaying step includes, while said cursor image is disposedover the specified region of said web page and responsive to saidprocessing of said at least one display instruction, modifying said atleast one image.
 87. The method of claim 83 wherein the specified regionof said web page is associated with a specified visual image displayedon said display.
 88. The method of claim 87 wherein said specifiedvisual image comprises at least one symbol.
 89. The method of claim 87wherein said specified visual image comprises alphanumeric information.90. The method of claim 87 wherein said promotional content comprisesadvertising material.
 91. The method of claim 83, wherein the at leastone image is displayed at a specified offset from said cursor image onsaid display.
 92. The method of claim 91, wherein the specified offsetis a fixed offset.